If you use Microsoft Windows and have an interest in programming, you may feel overwhelmed with where to start. After all, programming and development is a big industry, and there are many different languages and software programs. Maybe you don’t even know how to code yet, but want to learn.

It’s never too late to learn something new, including coding. No matter which side of the fence you’re on, you need a starting point. There are plenty of resources out there, but some of the best development tools for Microsoft users come from Redmond.

Here are some great development tools from Microsoft, including cross-platform options.

1. Visual Studio 2017

Visual Studio 2017 is a fully featured integrated development environment (IDE), and it’s jam-packed with plenty of powerful features:

5. Microsoft Azure

Microsoft Azure is a fantastic resource for anyone looking into development on Windows and other platforms.

Free to sign up

Receive a $200 credit to explore paid Azure services for 30 days

Won’t be charged anything until you upgrade

Free services include testing and deploying enterprise apps

Create customized mobile experiences

Gain insights from user data to create better experiences

To get Azure, just sign up for a free account. You’ll need a phone number and a credit card, but they only put a $1 hold charge on the card to verify, and you won’t be charged anything unless you choose to upgrade.

With Azure, you can sign up for a free account and get 12 months of popular free services, a $200 credit to explore paid Azure services for 30 days, and you won’t be charged anything until you decide to upgrade.

11. Visual Studio Dev Essentials

If you want a comprehensive all-in-one hub of useful development tools, then make sure to check out Visual Studio Dev Essentials.

Quick access to a myriad of development tools

Also has more premium services that you can access trials for, such as Syncfusion

Shortcuts to virtual desktop applications

Provides user insights

Dev Essentials is a nice central hub for many of the tools we’ve discussed, and provides a few more helpful resources. All you need to access Virtual Studio Dev Essentials is a Microsoft account.

There’s Never a Bad Time to Learn Programming

It doesn’t matter who you are or how old you are, programming is a skill that anyone can learn at any point in their life if they are truly determined.

While many developers may use Apple products for their work, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any good resources or tools from Microsoft themselves. These are some of the best options to help you with development, and they come straight from Microsoft.